Mississauga, Ontario, May 10, 2024 – Gay Lea Foods was proud to be named Large Business of the Year at the Mississauga Board of Trade’s (MBOT) annual Business Awards of Excellence ceremony, on Thursday, May 9, 2024.
Gay Lea Foods, a farmer-owned co-operative and one of Canada’s premier dairy companies, was recognized for:
- Strong financial performance, including record breaking fiscal 2023 revenue of $1.4 billion (an 18% increase versus prior year).
- A landmark increase in its charitable investment in Canadian communities. The co-operative also announced a more than 500% increase in its contributions to the Gay Lea Foundation, committing to donating more than $1 million in cash and product in the coming fiscal year.
- Steady progress in environmental sustainability, including a major investment in an emissions and food waste study, identifying dozens of projects that put the co-operative on a path to meet its ambitious environmental sustainability targets. The co-operative has committed to eliminating 150 t of carbon from its operations by the end of 2024.
- Continued strong team member engagement, with third-party surveys indicating high satisfaction among employees and engagement scores 4% above industry benchmark in 2023.
L to R: Matt Barrett, Operations Director; Sanjay Tandan, Operations Manager; Suzanna Dalrymple, President & CEO; Sara Abe, Vice President, Commercial Capabilities & Marketing; Anne Hogue, Operations Manager; Osmond Mortley, Operations Manager; Robin Redstone, Senior Manager, Communications & Community Investment
“This award is a testament to the hard work of our employees and Gay Lea Foods’ co-operative spirit,” said Suzanna Dalrymple, President & CEO, Gay Lea Foods. “One of the best things about working for a farmer-owned co-operative is the opportunity we’re given to balance our focus on people, profit and planet – and to deliver in meaningful ways for our members, shareholders and their communities.”
Mississauga is Canada’s sixth largest city and the third largest city in Ontario – with a population of more than 700,000 residents and 50,000 businesses employing more than 440,000 people, including 60 Fortune 500 Canadian headquarters.
The Business Awards of Excellence is an annual event honouring Mississauga’s finest businesses. The winner of the Large Business of the Year award exemplifies consistent and exceptional achievement from an overall operating perspective – product, marketing, community involvement and employee relations.
About Gay Lea Foods
Gay Lea Foods is a leading Canadian co-operative renowned for our community-focused values and high quality, innovative, and award-winning dairy and food products. With members on 1,300 dairy farms across Ontario and Manitoba, our farmers, shareholders and employees have proudly collaborated for more than 65 years to enrich communities co-operatively, ensuring the value our business creates flows to the members of our co-operative, our employees and the communities we touch.
-30-
Media Contact:
Robin Redstone, Senior Communications Manager
rredstone@gayleafoods.com
